Post#132-API#1 Introduction to API Testing

 

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Application Program Interface (API): Is the way of communication between two applications where applications may differ in their platforms or in terms of technology also.

Diagrammatically Representing And Understanding What Exactly API’s Are:

So, from the above we can say that API is a way of communication between two layers.

It is very obvious more the API layer is secure more it will be able to fetch data from backend and show on the frontend. It means if API layer has been tested correctly it will show the correct data on the frontend and ensures that the data insertion will also work fine.

For An Instance: Makemytrip.com is consuming API’s exposed by various airlines and when we search for some flight it fetches the information from those exposed API’s of various airlines.

 

Another example is whatsapp application that uses locations feature of google map application. Google have exposed its map API and whatsapp is using that API for its own purpose. Please note that neither the map feature was developed by whatsapp nor it is in the same technology that was used to develop map by google but still whatsapp is able to use google maps feature just because of the API’s of google map inspite of the additional fact that google is web-based application while whatsapp is mobile application.

Apart from that bookmyshow.com and Paytm is another example of API’s.

What is API testing?

In software application (app) development, API is the middle layer between the presentation (UI) and the database layer. APIs enable communication and data exchange from one software system to another.

API testing is a software testing practice that tests the APIs directly — from their functionality, reliability, performance, to security. Part of integration testing, API testing effectively validates the logic of the build architecture within a short amount of time.

Where is API testing performed?

There are three separate layers in a typical app: the presentation (or user interface) layer, the business layer, and the database layer for modeling and manipulating data.

API testing is performed at the most critical layer: business, in which business logic processing is carried out and all transactions between the user interface and database layers happen.

Benefits of API testing

Language-independent

Data is exchanged via XML and JSON formats, so any language can be used for test automation. XML and JSON are typically structured data, making the verification fast and stable. There are also built-in libraries to support comparing data using these data formats.

GUI-independent

API testing can be performed in the app prior to GUI testing. Early testing means early feedback and better team productivity. The app's core functionalities can be tested to expose small errors and to evaluate the build's strengths.

Improved test coverage

Most API/web services have specifications, allowing you to create automated tests with high coverage — including functional testing and non-functional testing.

Faster releases

It is common that executing API testing saves up to eight hours compared to UI testing, allowing software development teams to release products faster.

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